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Your Ultimate Guide to Federal Public Records

Did you know that there is a law that allows U.S. citizens to access federal public records or information? Enacted in 1966, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requires federal agencies to release public records once they have received a written request for access to the records. Indeed, it is your right as a taxpayer who helps federal agencies stay afloat to request for access to some public documents.

Why people access federal public records?

People might want to have a closer look at the various state departments and their functions to know where to ask help when the need arises. Some people might want to understand how the federal justice system works, so they need to take a look at federal courts public records.

To aid their hiring process, employers can access federal criminal public records from the National Criminal File (NCF) to do background checks on their prospective employees. Records from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), however, are not open for public access.

Federal criminal records include various items such as profiles of serial killers and federal offenders or prisoners as well as indictment case files. People can also gain access to documents on the investigation findings involving cases of racketeering groups after the trial, conviction, and imprisonment.

How to get this document

Thanks to the internet, anyone can obtain federal public records in just a matter of seconds. Public records that document federal activities are available at various websites, giving information that the public needs.

To make access to public information easier, the government has provided dedicated search engines for federal records. Such search engines aid in trimming down your search to the most specific information, making it easy for you to find exactly what you need rather than doing a manual search online.

However, if you have a general or vague idea about the federal records you are looking for, you can just type in the keywords of the public information you want to view. Also, you can browse through the categories available such as tax records, real estate records, public marriage records, public birth records, and public death records.